Could Algae be the Answer to Marcellus Wastewater? Innovative New “Green” Fracking Solution Looking for a Partner

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From time to time businesses contact MDN to ask for exposure to their product or service. Most times MDN passes because it wouldn’t be of interest to landowners and industry participants. However, we recently received a request about an intriguing green solution for fracking wastewater.

What if you could use algae to feed on fracking wastewater and convert that wastewater into a harmless (and useful) biofuel? And what if you ramped up the growth rate of the algae by using hydroponics technology? And what if the whole operation, covering just one acre, was enclosed in an inflatable structure that protected the environment around it, and enabled 24/7/365 growth of the algae inside? And what if that one acre super-algae farm could handle 50,000 gallons of fracking wastewater per day? Well then, you’d have something called Algeponics®.

The creator of the patented new Algeponics® technology is Algepower Inc., headquartered in Montpelier, VT. According to Gail Busch, president of Algepower, the company is seeking partners in the drilling industry and university community to help them test a prototype of the system they’ve developed. The research project they are proposing would take 3-4 months and would:

  • Test frack water from various wells and impoundment lagoons;
  • Test various algae species for best algae for remediation;
  • Based on the most effective algae or algae combination, determine the best available technology for converting the algae to fuel;
  • Determine the size and cost of a viable commercial unit.

Interested drilling companies and universities should contact Ms. Busch if they want to participate:

Gail Busch, President
Algepower Inc.
Montpelier, VT
802 223 0705
[email protected]

A full description of the Algeponics® system is embedded below.

2 Comments

  1. What? GOLDEN Algae??? Been there. done that. My point is that we need to make absolutely certain that the release of any non-native organism into an aquatic environment doesn’t have unintended consequences, like massive extirpation of all aquatic life in a stream. Dunkard Creek is STILL dead, after all.

  2. If you had bothered to read the prospectus attached to the article, you would see this is not algae released into the environment. It is grown and then used as a biofuel. It appears to me it’s in a completely protected environment at all times through its entire lifecycle. Your bias is showing once again Julieann–you won’t even endorse what appears to be a good/green solution.